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Vijay Merchant
Vijaysingh Madhavji Merchant
Born: 12 October 1911, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
Died: 27 October 1987, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra
Major Teams: Hindus, Mumbai, India.
Known As: Vijay Merchant
Also Known As: real name Vijay Madhavji Thakersey
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
Test Debut: India v England at Bombay, 1st Test, 1933/34
Last Test: India v England at Delhi, 1st Test, 1951/52
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1937
Career Statistics:
TESTS
(career)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 10 18 0 859 154 47.72 3 3 7 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 9 0 40 0 - - 0 0 - 4.44
FIRST-CLASS
(career: 1929/30 - 1950/51)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 150 234 46 13470 359* 71.64 45 52 115 0
Balls M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 5087 212 2088 65 32.12 5-73 1 0 78.2 2.46
- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.
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Profile:
Vijay Merchant was the classicist who played every ball according
to its merits with an air of the schoolmaster taking a tutorial for
wide eyed pupils. "Bowl him six bad balls and he would hit every one
for four. Bowl him six good ones and he would stop every one", wrote
an awed John Arlott. A flawless technique combined with a soundness
of judgement and a colossal yen for runs translated into a career
first class average of 71.64 and an even more Bradmanesque figure of
98.35 in the Ranji Trophy. Although Merchant was the name under which
he courted fame, it was not his real name but his family occupation,
which his principal at school bizarrely appended. Batting at No. 6 in
his first Test series against England in 1933-34, Merchant secured
just one fifty in six innings. He then gravitated to the opening spot
which he found to be his real metier. All his ten Tests were against
the old colonial power, which he first toured in 1936, setting his
seal with an imperturbable Test hundred at Old Trafford.
Although he played every shot with a practised ease, Merchant was
justly renowned for his late cut which according to one critic, "he
played so late that sometimes he seemed to snatch the ball from the
wicketkeeper's clutches". His second tour of England in 1946 saw him
carve out 2385 runs at 74.53 and he was acknowledged to have few
equals in the art of batting on wet wickets. Merchant's 154 at Delhi
in 1951-52 was India's highest individual innings in Tests until
Hazare surpassed it a few hours later but there was to be no retort
from the former. Having aggravated an old shoulder injury while
fielding, Merchant called it a day at the age of 40. (Sankhya
Krishnan)
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